In a bold play to reset economic relations, President Donald Trump signaled on Monday that the United States may be on the brink of hammering out a new trade deal with Canada, just as tensions over tariffs and ongoing lawsuits have reached a boiling point.
Speaking during the G7 summit in Alberta, Trump met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, expressing cautious optimism about finding a path forward. The two leaders sat down for a high-stakes bilateral meeting, with Trump telling reporters, “We’ll get to the bottom of it today,” and adding, “I’m sure we could work something out.”
Tariff Tug-of-War: Two Visions, One Uncertain Future
Trump made it clear that trade dominated his agenda, emphasizing the nations’ starkly different approaches.
“I’ve always been a tariff person—simple, easy, precise,” Trump said. “Carney has a different concept… some people like it. It’s more complicated.”
The U.S. and Canada have been locked in a bitter tariff standoff since March, when the Trump administration slapped a 25% tariff on most Canadian imports and a 10% levy on energy products. While some goods qualifying under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) were spared, the broader economic impact was swift and severe.
